ricottae's review against another edition
4.0
*I received a review copy of this book from the author but all thoughts and opinions are my own*
I liked this book! It’s definitely a fast read, but despite that I thought the characters were all developed well enough for me to invest in their stories. It did take me a few pages to realize that the setting is a future version of Earth, rather than some random planet, which is an important point to understand the significance of one of the major plot points. But all things considered, I think this book could be an excellent jumping off point for a series exploring new worlds and human interaction with alien life. The scifi aspect could definitely be expanded, since that’s not a main focus of the plot, which instead focuses on two people finding their paths in life and finding each other (romance ahoy!), but there is plenty of potential for heavier exploration of the genre in future stories in this universe (pun intended). If you’d like a quick, light read with space themes and some romance, give Star Compass a look!
I liked this book! It’s definitely a fast read, but despite that I thought the characters were all developed well enough for me to invest in their stories. It did take me a few pages to realize that the setting is a future version of Earth, rather than some random planet, which is an important point to understand the significance of one of the major plot points. But all things considered, I think this book could be an excellent jumping off point for a series exploring new worlds and human interaction with alien life. The scifi aspect could definitely be expanded, since that’s not a main focus of the plot, which instead focuses on two people finding their paths in life and finding each other (romance ahoy!), but there is plenty of potential for heavier exploration of the genre in future stories in this universe (pun intended). If you’d like a quick, light read with space themes and some romance, give Star Compass a look!
jazzybellz_'s review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3 stars
Review:
I enjoyed this book but not so much that I would gush over it.
It's one of those books that could easily be turned into a movie without much being left out.
There really wasn't that much chemistry but I'll give it a pass because there are other things that just made up for it.
The h was incredibly smart and I really admired her strength.
The H had a clear moral compass and I loved how, in the end, he did the right thing.
I'm kinda upset at the fact that we never really see the H's past in depth or how the h's and the H's pasts were never confronted by them.
For obvious reasons, the things you've been through (or you're past) are the events that lead up to who you are today and not having anyone address it in the novel is just disappointing.
Like I said, I liked the book well enough but not enough for me to start gushing over it.
Review:
I enjoyed this book but not so much that I would gush over it.
It's one of those books that could easily be turned into a movie without much being left out.
There really wasn't that much chemistry but I'll give it a pass because there are other things that just made up for it.
The h was incredibly smart and I really admired her strength.
The H had a clear moral compass and I loved how, in the end, he did the right thing.
I'm kinda upset at the fact that we never really see the H's past in depth or how the h's and the H's pasts were never confronted by them.
For obvious reasons, the things you've been through (or you're past) are the events that lead up to who you are today and not having anyone address it in the novel is just disappointing.
Like I said, I liked the book well enough but not enough for me to start gushing over it.
shyfroglet's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
dcgw's review against another edition
5.0
Great
Loved it. Could not get enough of it. Wish there was lots more! Loved Di and her devotion to Tipper. A great story.
Loved it. Could not get enough of it. Wish there was lots more! Loved Di and her devotion to Tipper. A great story.
natrosette's review against another edition
3.5
I reviewed this book as a judge in the 6th Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off.
Diana Smythe was born into the nobility, but after a tragic accident she ends up living as a streetrat named Diver. Her exceptional ability to calculate mathematical trajectories gives her an advantage as a pickpocket, but it will never be enough for her to achieve her dreams of escaping Earth. Or so she thinks, until things take an unlikely turn when she helps to avert a terrible disaster at the Spaceport.
Star Compass is a YA steampunk novel set in a Victorian, patriarchal world with spaceships and nano-lifted skirts. Whether in the Southampton slums, the upper-class ballrooms, or a sleek spaceship headed for a new colony, the setting was well executed, and all of these different perspectives combined to provide a world that felt complete.
The novel follows two primary characters: Diana, a noble-turned-pickpocket, and Derek, a revolutionary-turned-policeman. For me, Diana’s perspective was the more engaging of the two, but my absolute favorite character has to be Tipper, a young and hopelessly optimistic streetrat who’s akin to Diana’s younger brother. All of the characters, both those I adored or despised, came across as real people, each with their own meaningful motivations. For example, though Diana did have a bit of a “not like other girls” perspective, it was at least somewhat nuanced. She could love math and science and appreciate the usefulness of trousers without entirely eschewing femininity and the enjoyment of wearing a beautiful ballgown.
Time for a few nitpicky complaints. Despite my appreciation for most of the characters, the romance wasn’t particularly compelling for me. The initial difference in power between the two love interests was unsettling, but thankfully it was somewhat of a slow burn and didn’t get in the way of the individuals’ character developments. I also would have really liked to see more of Diana’s mathematical ability in action. We were often told how it helps her to navigate crowds and predict spaceship trajectories, but there were only a couple of times when we actually got to see her actively make use of it.
I found Star Compass to be quite an entertaining read, and it inspired me to look out for more books by the author and in the steampunk genre. However, at least from my perspective, this book is much more science fiction than it is fantasy. So although I recommend that you consider giving it a try, I can’t say that it belongs in the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off.
Find more reviews and other bookish content on my blog!
Diana Smythe was born into the nobility, but after a tragic accident she ends up living as a streetrat named Diver. Her exceptional ability to calculate mathematical trajectories gives her an advantage as a pickpocket, but it will never be enough for her to achieve her dreams of escaping Earth. Or so she thinks, until things take an unlikely turn when she helps to avert a terrible disaster at the Spaceport.
Star Compass is a YA steampunk novel set in a Victorian, patriarchal world with spaceships and nano-lifted skirts. Whether in the Southampton slums, the upper-class ballrooms, or a sleek spaceship headed for a new colony, the setting was well executed, and all of these different perspectives combined to provide a world that felt complete.
The novel follows two primary characters: Diana, a noble-turned-pickpocket, and Derek, a revolutionary-turned-policeman. For me, Diana’s perspective was the more engaging of the two, but my absolute favorite character has to be Tipper, a young and hopelessly optimistic streetrat who’s akin to Diana’s younger brother. All of the characters, both those I adored or despised, came across as real people, each with their own meaningful motivations. For example, though Diana did have a bit of a “not like other girls” perspective, it was at least somewhat nuanced. She could love math and science and appreciate the usefulness of trousers without entirely eschewing femininity and the enjoyment of wearing a beautiful ballgown.
Time for a few nitpicky complaints. Despite my appreciation for most of the characters, the romance wasn’t particularly compelling for me. The initial difference in power between the two love interests was unsettling, but thankfully it was somewhat of a slow burn and didn’t get in the way of the individuals’ character developments. I also would have really liked to see more of Diana’s mathematical ability in action. We were often told how it helps her to navigate crowds and predict spaceship trajectories, but there were only a couple of times when we actually got to see her actively make use of it.
I found Star Compass to be quite an entertaining read, and it inspired me to look out for more books by the author and in the steampunk genre. However, at least from my perspective, this book is much more science fiction than it is fantasy. So although I recommend that you consider giving it a try, I can’t say that it belongs in the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off.
Find more reviews and other bookish content on my blog!
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